Baby Shower

I'm a really proud Aunty. Throwing a party for my new nephew this weekend was most definitely a highlight.  There are all kinds of party details over at Fig & Ruby but here's a few of the people pics...

Mom and Terri getting ready to party.  Do you like my new painting?  It was originally an ugly thrift store find...it's been in my garage for 2 years as a gold frame with a horrendous ocean scene.  This party theme finally inspired me to drag it out and fancy it up. 

I am planing on putting it in the guest bathroom.

Look at this sweet boy!

My mother in law has a really fun group of girlfriends.

They all came to support Terri. 

{Notice who is taking the photo}

These girls were right in the action.

My photo with the guests of honor!

There were so many people at the shower, I'm glad I snagged a photo with these two!!

The sister picture plus a little lady.

Watching Terri open some gifts.

She got so many cute things!

Cambria fell asleep in Jenaya's lap.

I love this photo!

Sooo many packages!!

It was a great party.  Lots of people came to love on Terri and meet her new boy.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  There's nothing like "party day"!!

Terri looked stunning.  She's beautiful and comfortable and confident as a mother.  I got the privilege of enjoying her company for a few hours after the party. It's kind of like Jamin has always been here, he fits right in as her little boy and she acts like a veteran mommy.  I am a proud big sister:)

Summer Turkey Berry Salad

We have been having salad for dinner every night to avoid using the oven.  It is so easy and so filling!

I really liked this combo and it was so colorful.  One of the kids even suggested I take a photo because it was so pretty:)

Turkey Burgers:

{Keep in mind; these are Banmanland proportions}

2 pounds ground turkey

3/4 cup feta cheese

1/2 cup pesto

{sometimes I don't have pesto.  These taste great with Mexican flavours as well; cumin, chili powder, garlic, onion...}

Smoosh it all together, make patties, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cook on medium high in a pan.

{I know, I said I wasn't using the oven/stove but this part can be done in the morning before it gets hot!!  Keep the burgers in the fridge.}

Salad:

{This is flexible.  You can make this salad 1000 different ways!}

lettuce {anything but iceburg}

avacado

red pepper

carrots

tomatoes

strawberries

raspberries

blueberries

sunflower seeds{or almonds or pecans or walnuts}

green onions

Insta-Friday

The week as my camera phone saw it...

Cambria finally got to sport a romper.

She's cute.

Maddie  gave Cambri a snuggle.

They love each other.

We ate salad every day this week.

We've come a long way.

The cousin club got it's 10th member.

He's precious.

I went to Mike's Dr's report.

I was proud!

We went on a sushi date.

Good food, great company!

We bought a bouquet at the market.

It was unreal, so gorgeous!

Baby had a bath.

I love her!

It rained.

Bummer.

This guy's outfit.

Highlight of the Stanley Cup.

Road trip to Armstrong.

Love these ladies.

Sweet snoozing sisters.

Melt my heart!

Two finger suckers.

What are the chances of this??

The hair too.

Not so fun.

Little cousins holding hands.

Just precious.

New Nephew!

Mike's sister Terri had a baby on Saturday!

She laboured for 37 hours.

She hard core pushed for 3.

Wow.

All her hard work was well worth it.

Holding my nephew for the first time.

I was amazed how much love I felt for a little person that I was just meeting.

Mikayla and her new cousin.

Mailee checking out his tiny features.

Maddie going in for a kiss.

The three big girls came with me to the hospital but the rest of the crew met the baby at their house.  

Here is our first photo with all 10 cousins.

Every one of these kids is so special and uniquely created. 

They love each other so much.  I am so thankful that my kids have such a fun cousin club!

From these two special people...

5 children

3 children-in-law (so far)

10 grandchildren (so far)

What a blessed and rich heritage!

Cait meets the baby!

She likes him!

She keeps saying "Aunty te-wees new baby my baby cousin"

Look at how big our little lady looks next to her new cousin!!

I was helping Caleb hold Jamin and wasn't able to get a photo.  My arm was falling asleep and Caleb still wasn't done.  He is really sweet with babies.  

What a perfectly adorable little boy!

It's been 6 years since my last nephew was born.

It was about time for a new person in our family that didn't come from me:)

I love the role of aunty!!

Congratulations Terri and Matt on this precious gift from God!

Caleb's Tooth

Here's Caleb's "Lost My First Tooth" post.  He asked me the other day if I had put the pictures of his mouth on the blog.

Cute that he knows I have a blog.

Sometimes I think he isn't paying attention but that boy of mine, he sees everything!

I was glad that he reminded me about these cute pictures and this very big milestone in his life.

I don't want to become apathetic to the important little events that come up in my younger kids' lives.  Every child is special and all those milestones are amazing moments that mark how much they've grown and should be another chance to stop, reflect and be thankful!

Here's my big boy on the night that he lost his first tooth:

Mike is holding Caleb's extracted tooth.

{That's right, I said "extracted".  My husband is a tooth puller.  When a tooth gets to a certain point on the wiggly scale, he offers to pull it out.  All children so far have happily taken him up on this offer so far.} 

Here he is with his "new smile".  

What a cute boy!

Insta-Friday

This week was fun.

Camera phone will show you why:

Mailee took me shopping to get me a birthday gift.

{smart girl, getting alone time around here can be tricky!!}

Cait asked me to take her picture and then proceeded to make this pose.

In her jammies.

She kills me.

So cute.

Sweetheart is getting bigger.

I want to carry her around while I can even when she's sleeping.

I dont.

I have other people to tend to.

Meals to prepare.

But I would if I could and this is my advice to all you with one baby or preparing to have a baby at some point in your future...

Hold the baby, stare at the baby, do nothing else, just soak the baby's sweetness up all day long!!

Big girl.

Happened so fast!

First stroll by the water on one of the first warm days.

Mikayla took this one.

Notice Cait.

Hot + Water = Happy Kids

Chubby Bubby Baby Toes.

With polish.

Precious.

Snacktime at our house is never dull.

And rarely skipped.

And seems to be so frequent.

{10 and 3... I have set times, do you do that too?}

Caleb lost his first tooth.

Mike pulled it out for him.

He put the tooth in his pirate treasure chest.

He woke up to a toonie.

{Canadian money = coin worth $2}

He was sooo excited!

He asked Mike to pull the other one out too.

Put the tooth in the pirate treasure chest.

Woke up to another toonie.

Rich boy, poor Toothfairy!

I made a cake this week!  

I couldn't turn this one down.

My friend has 3 little girls and she got her ultrasound results sealed and brought them to me {and didn't peek}.  I made a cake with {either} pink or blue on the inside.  The outside was white.

They cut into it at a little family party.

So fun.

More Cait being Cait.

Posing one her own for a picture.

A little home school project action.

Avacado snacking.

I love it when my kids want stuff like this to eat!!

Craving some craft time!

We got crafty yesterday and everything else fell apart around here.

Messy messy house.

It was worth it though!

Funny conversation of the week:

Maddie: "How do I look, Caleb?"

Caleb: "Pretty like a fashion star."

Incorporating math into our sewing.

After figuring this out, we decided to make it smaller.

Funny made up word of the week:

SNUNCH

Caleb wanted to know what was for 10 o'clock snack.

It was 11:30.

I said we are having lunch next.

Mailee said "Then it's snunch Mom."

It's a full and busy and funny and happy life!